Civil Defence said ash could be a health hazard, especially for people suffering breathing difficulties.

People affected by ashfall should wear a dust mask cover their nose and mouth and protect their eyes.

A woman who lives near the mountain said sulphur-smelling ash had been raining down on her home.

Robyn Bennett, who lives 6km from the mountain, said she could see the plume of ash rising into the sky.

"It's sitting under some cloud and that's why it's pushing down onto us," she said.

"It smells worse than rotten eggs."

Ms Bennett didn't think she and her husband would need to leave their home, "not unless she starts spewing out a whole lot of red rocks", but they were waiting to hear from Civil Defence or DoC.

James Perry, who works at the Lake Taupo Hole in One attraction on the resort town's lakefront, had a clear view of the mountains of the central plateau and saw the ash as soon as the eruption occurred.

"It basically went straight up and did the mushroom cloud and then the wind's just spread it from there," he said.

Hole in One owner Tiffany Battell said the smell of sulphur was obvious yesterday and she had wondered then whether it was a precursor to another eruption.

Rhys Harnett of Auckland had stopped on the lakefront to eat his lunch at about 1.30pm when he saw black smoke rising silently from the crater of Mt Tongariro, which he said plumed out above the clouds. He took a photo on his cellphone and rang his home in Auckland to relate what he had seen.

"I had a feeling it was not an eruption but letting off steam."

WeatherWatch head weather analyst Philip Duncan said with only light winds in the region, much of the ash was expected to fall locally.

Lighter ash could travel greater distances and the plume may drift anywhere anywhere from Taupo to Hawkes Bay.

Ash was expected to fall on the Desert Road but was likely to be pushed away from the main air route, to the west of the mountain.

Tongariro, in the centre of the North Island, erupted in August for the first time in 115 years, sending ash as far east as Napier.

According to GeoNet, Tongariro is a complex of multiple volcanic cones constructed over a period of 275,000 years.

The mountain's active vents include Te Maari, Emerald, North Crater and Red Crater.

The Department of Conservation has been criticised for not having adequate safety measures in place when a volunteer died while taking water temperatures on remote Raoul Island in January.

The department (DoC) was today convicted of failing to ensure the safety of Romanian volunteer Mihai Muncus-Nagy, but no further sanction was imposed because it had already paid his family $60,000 compensation.

It's believed Mr Muncus-Nagy slipped into the sea as he was taking temperature readings from water on Fishing Rock at the island about 1000km northeast of New Zealand.

An extensive search failed to find any sign of the 33-year-old and he is thought to have drowned.

During sentencing in Auckland District Court today, DoC lawyer Erynn Hughes said the department had already paid Mr Muncus-Nagy's family compensation, and paid for his wife and her father to come to New Zealand and Raoul Island.

Judge Chris Field deemed that "entirely appropriate" and did not impose any further penalty on top of the conviction.

"They've (DoC) taken this very personally and have been supporting them (Mr Muncus-Nagy's family) in a number of different ways."

Judge Field said there were several areas where DoC failed to ensure the safety of their employee.

It could have sent a second person with him to carry out the work, and ensured he had a life-jacket or personal locator beacon, he said.

"These are some practicable steps that DoC could have taken in this instance."

Judge Field said Mr Muncus-Nagy's death had "dramatically" affected his wife's life: "She is daily reminded of his absence and feels an ongoing sense of loss and grief."

Speaking outside court, DoC's deputy director of operations Sue Cosford said it had strengthened safety procedures on Raoul Island since the incident.

"We've instigated a significant number of improvements to ... ensure our people are safe when they are working on the island. In the case of this particular activity on Fishing Rock, we are no longer doing water temperature testing there.

"This was a truly tragic accident. We greatly regret Mihai's loss, it's been very devastating obviously for his family and for our team here. He was a really well-liked, respected member of the team."

A prominent government lobbyist is standing by his leaked comments which slam leading scientists for speaking out about New Zealand's poor environmental record.

Mark Unsworth, of government relations consultancy Saunders Unsworth, e-mailed Massey University environmental scientist Dr Mike Joy on Wednesday in reaction to Joy's comments to the New york Times on New Zealand's 'fantastical' 100% pure image.

Mr Unsworth's email - which was sent at 12:15am under the subject line 'Ego trip' - was posted by Green Party co-leader Russel Norman on his Facebook page today.

In the emails, Mr Unsworth said although he was an academic, Dr Joy had "let his ego run riot worldwide" while risking jobs and incomes from decreased tourism.

"You guys are the Foot and Mouth Disease of the tourism industry. Most ordinary people in NZ would happily have you lot locked up," he wrote.

"You may not care given your tenure in a nice comfy University lounge, but to others this affects income and jobs.

"Give that some thought next time you feel the need to see your name in print in New York. And possibly think of changing your name from Joy to Misery-its more accurate [sic]."

The emails were posted on Dr Norman's Facebook page this afternoon, and he said Unsworth's behavior implied he wanted scientists to gag them from their academic duty to report the facts of environmental degradation.

"It's disappointing. Dr Joy is simply reporting the evidence. The clean, green brand only exists because of people like Dr Joy."

Dr Norman said corporate lobbyists exploited New Zealand's '100% Pure' image but then attempt to stop any protection of the environment which it stands on.

Mr Unsworth did not wish to comment further beyond stating he stood by the emails and they were his own personal views.

Saunders Unsworth clients include Caltex, British Gas and Air New Zealand.

Two French tourists camping overnight in the Waikato were violently attacked after they were accused of not paying "rent" to their attackers.

The couple - who had parked their camper van on a rural road near Raglan - were woken in the middle of the night by a man doing a haka.

Five intoxicated males then accused the French couple of staying on private land and demanded payment.

Detective Sergeant Mata John of the Ngaruawahia CIB said the situation then escalated.

"The French male has then been punched and an attempt was made to drag him out of the vehicle before the couple had a variety of items taken from them and their attackers drove off. Though not resulting in serious injury, this is type of attack is concerning given the time it happened and the sense of isolation the victims would have felt."

Ms John said this type of antisocial and violent behaviour could have "far reaching consequences" and urged members of the public to come forward with information on the five men believed to be involved.

"The Waikato and in fact the rest of the country prides itself in being a safe, family friendly place to visit and the Police want to ensure we do our part to maintain that hard earned reputation.

"To that end, the public can help as well. We have two main offenders, one a Maori male described as being of solid to fat build with black hair and a goatee beard about 175cm tall who was wearing a black and white T-shirt."

The second offender was described as a male Caucasian who was also of solid to fat build, about 178cm tall with short blond hair and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt with white writing on it and a green cap.

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i was hassled in the middle of the night while asleep in my camper at raglan a few years back

A 3km exclusion zone has been set up around Mt Tongariro after it blew rock and ash high into the air yesterday, with experts warning there is a very real chance of it erupting again.

GNS Science today cancelled its national advisory after the eruption from the mountain's Te Maari crater.

However, it says there remains a "significant probability of a sudden eruption within the next week".

Should a further eruption occur, a new national advisory or warning would be issued, GNS Science said.

Signs of volcanic activity have settled but experts continue to monitor the mountain for changes.

GNS volcanologist Brad Scott said there remained a real possibility of Tongariro blowing again.

"The volcano is in a state of unrest," he said, "I definitely wouldn't say another eruption wasn't going to happen."

Volcanologists had not been able to access the crater on foot yet - "it's just too dangerous."

Thick grey smoke, gas and ash spewed 4km into the sky from Te Maari vent on the western side of the mountain during the unexpected eruption just before 1.30pm yesterday.

It is the same place where Tongariro erupted in August, for the first time in more than a century.

Video of the eruption showed rocks of about a metre across had also been blown into the air.

Mr Scott said people up to 400km away could expect to smell sulphur from the volcano in the coming days but that was nothing to be concerned about.

The Department of Conservation (Doc) has closed its tracks within a 3km radius of the crater.

DoC spokesman Bhrent Guys said staff would remain posted at the main entrances to the national park on the central plateau tomorrow to stop curious spectators getting too close.

The world-famous Tongariro Crossing would remain closed for at least the next three days, he said.

"We hope to have the tracks open as soon as we possibly can, keeping in mind public safety."

However, the greatest risk was not the volcano at all.

"The greatest hazard anyone's going to face during this event is being run over on the road. I make that point quite seriously: two people were killed when they parked up to look at at the Ruapehu eruption in 1995."

Tamatea Intermediate School's volcano studies took on unexpected realism as Tongariro erupted in front of a fifth of the Hawkes Bay school's pupils on a trek during their end-of-year camp.

As part of their studies, pupils had been making their own volcanoes, complete with explosions, teacher and camp leader Paul Lowes said from the Mission Bay camp where the 90 Year 8 children and 10 teachers and parents were staying.

Lessons came to life on the Tongariro Track when ash and gas burst from Te Maari Crater shortly before 1.30pm.

"We weren't too close, but we got a marvellous view," Mr Lowes said. Using cellphones, leaders were able to advise principal Roy Sye immediately that the group was safe.

Mr Sye, who had been to the area last week with another group of pupils, was in Wellington yesterday but was able to broadcast the good news to worried families who had begun flooding school telephones with calls.

But what had been a moment of fear back home was being taken in stride by the children, as they got "fantastic photos and fantastic footage", Mr Lowes said.

"The ash cloud rose and rose," before the wind began to disperse it away from the group, which had arrived in the area aboard two Nimons buses on Monday and is due back at the school tomorrow afternoon.

After the mountain silently blasted ash and gas two kilometres into the sky on the western side of the mountain, police and Department of Conservation (DoC) staff closed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing at Ketetahi and Mangatepopo roads.

DoC community relations manager Kim Alexander-Turia said about 50 people were thought to be on the crossing at the time of the eruption. All were thought to be safe.

"While the scale of the August 6 eruption had no practicable effect upon farm pasture, analysis of the ash produced showed moderate levels of soluble fluorine (F)," its notice to members said. "Should eruptions similar to 1995 and 1996 take place, the main effect on grazed pastoral systems is ash cover. Some livestock will be put-off grazing due to high levels of acidic and abrasive ash while others will continue to graze. If supplementary feed is unavailable, this may lead to starvation and if significant ash is ingested along with pasture, livestock are at risk from the disease, fluorosis.

"Experience from the 1995/1996 eruptions has shown that ash coverings of 2mm, low-grazed pastures and low rainfall following ash deposition are critical factors increasing hazard. Deaths of stock normally begin four-10 days after ashfall if no supplementary feed is available. Noting it is mid-spring, heavy or persistent rainfall quickly disperses such levels of ash and also rapidly leaches F; reducing the hazard considerably.

"In general, deer are likely to be the most susceptible to fluorosis, followed by cattle, with sheep being the most resistant. Fluoride is absorbed rapidly by grazing animals from ingested ash or contaminated water. In moderate levels of excess, it does not pass into milk."

Farmers are advised to maintain pasture length by regular rotation rather than close cropping - longer pastures are less likely to be completely covered.

If ashfall exceeds 2mm or coats more than 50 per cent of pasture/crops, they should move stock to less affected areas of the farm or supply supplementary feed. They should refill stock drinking troughs from bore or river supplies. If ash has not washed off pastures after two to three days, farmers should raise the quantity of supplementary feed and monitor stock condition closely.

Rural residents with roof-fed tank water supplies were advised to remove the roof connection to protect stored water.

November 22, 2012 – INDONESIA – Mount Lokon, one of the most active volcanos in Indonesia, erupted twice Wednesday morning. The eruptions from the volcano were less than one hour apart and were confirmed by the Mahawu Volcano Observation monitoring post chief, Farid Ruskanda Bina. An ash cloud was expelled 1200 meters into the air. Residents were warned to be on alert and observe the 2.5 mile exclusion zone established around the volcano. –The Extinction Protocol

Air New Zealand flights in and out of the Bay of Plenty were cancelled today after Mount Tongariro spewed ash into the air yesterday.The airline cancelled around 12 early morning flights in and out of Rotorua, Taupo and Gisborne today.The airline is continuing to monitor the situation with flights running out of Rotorua again.Flights out of Auckland were also affected by the eruption yesterday, with one Tauranga resident delayed for around an hour as he waited for clearance to board his plane bound for Christchurch.Sun Air Aviation is however continuing to run all of their province to province flights today.The Tauranga-based airline operates flights from Tauranga, Hamilton, Rotorua, Gisborne, Napier and most provinces. For a flight schedule click here.Mount Tongariro erupted at 1.25pm spewing ash into the air for about five minutes.The eruption came from the upper Te Maari crater, the same area as the August 6 eruption.GNS Science says it is closely monitoring the activity of the volcano and says there was there were no signs of eruption or increased activity overnight.The Aviation Colour Code and the Volcanic Alert Level will be assessed this morning and a bulletin be issued should anything change.The Aviation Colour Code remains at Orange, after it was decreased from Red overnight and the Volcanic Alert Level at 2.GNS Science staff Nico Fournier, Agnes Mazot and Craig Miller witnessed the eruption from a few kilometres away.“We didn’t hear anything but could suddenly see an ominous dark grey cloud of ash drifting towards us,” says Nico.“The eruption was also seen by trampers walking on the Tongariro Crossing. There are no reports of injury.”Ash that erupted during the first few minutes reached 3 to 4km in height and was clearly seen from Taupo.A light dusting of ash fell across part of State Highway 46 and north-east towards Turangi but no more ash was reported yesterday afternoon as the gas and steam cloud drifted towards the south east, says GNS Science.Ash was being collected yesterday afternoon and will be analysed at Massey University to assess potential human and animal health effects.Results are expected in the next few days.Scientists say eruptions could continue for months.Police are urging motorists to drive safely if they travel to the area today to view the volcanic activity.Area Commander Inspector Steve Bullock says they are expecting a beautiful sunny day today and expect many people will want to take advantage of the clear conditions to visit.“That is completely understandable and whilst we don’t discourage people from now travelling to the area we are asking them to put road safety and their own safety before sight-seeing."Whilst the Apline crossing remains closed other walking tracks are open.Travellers to the area can get more information about what is accessible via the Ruapehu Area Department of Conservation Office.Information and updates will also be posted on the Department of Conservation website - www.doc.govt.nz

There is a dark cloud hanging over Tongariro National Park, and it's not just the ash and steam from Te Maari crater eruptions.

An eruption at the crater about 1.30pm on Wednesday sent an ash plume shooting up to 4 kilometres into the sky, though the mountain quietened later in the day.

Scientists say further eruptions of Mt Tongariro could continue for months, if not years. And GNS Science last week warned of a possible eruption at Mt Ruapehu.

This morning, GNS Science duty vulcanologist Nico Fournier said there had been little change overnight, but that did not mean it wouldn't erupt again unexpectedly.

"It was a very quiet night. We haven't detected any change in activity, but having said that, it could still erupt with little or no notice," he said.

While sightseers parked up on the roadside to get a view of the eruption yesterday, tourism operators who provide accommodation, shuttle transport and guiding services were cautiously optimistic the world-renowned Tongariro Crossing would not remain closed for long.

Only a handful of operators were willing to talk about the effect on their business from the temporary closure of the crossing, though Tongariro Alpine Transport Users Group spokesman Stew Barclay, of National Park, said trade would undoubtedly drop off.

Operators were keen to get a message out that the area offered other alternatives for tourists.

"Really the eruption at Te Maari this week was minute compared with the initial eruption back in August - probably about 10 per cent of the size," Barclay said.

"The difficulty we have is the perception [of] people, who have made or are about to make bookings, thinking that it's too risky to visit the park over the next three to four months."

His company, Adrift Guiding, had already received calls from overseas visitors either wanting to ensure it was safe to visit, or to cancel bookings.

"Some want a refund and we suggest there are many other walks and activities in National Park which are unaffected by the eruption.

"The Tongariro Crossing is famous because of what it is - a great one-day walk - but we tell people we can offer them other walks in the park, as well kayaking and mountain biking."

Barclay was optimistic the track would be partially open by Monday, and said the Conservation Department was aware of the commercial operators' plight.

Plateau Lodge and Shuttles manager Zeus Messenger said most visitors came to walk the Tongariro Crossing and it was sometimes difficult to convince them that there were other, equally good, walks in the park.

Mountain Air pilot Matthew Matthews said business had increased markedly in the past two days, with two planes fully booked with sightseers.

"We've had eight to nine flights fully booked each day."

Flying conditions were safe and pilots were keeping upwind of the steam, he said

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whilst i understand the feelings and worries of the tourism community, we simply cannot assume that nothing huge is going to go down in the way of eruptions at these volcanoes

it is not safe for anyone to be in that area now, especially in light of the fact that the 'experts' dont seem to be able to see the signs that others see, and therefore dont warn in time

we were able to warn that this eruption was very likely at tongariro, right here on this thread, for a couple of weeks before this happened!!

Groups of Auckland school students will continue to visit Mt Tongariro today but will stay away from the areas affected by yesterday's eruption.

An eruption at Te Maari crater, on the mountain's north-west side, about 1.30pm, sent a 2km-high ash plume into the sky causing panic and excitement for nearby trampers, including groups of children on camp.

Scientists have since warned further eruptions at Mt Tongariro may continue for months, if not years.

A group of 20 students and 10 adults from Gulf Harbour School were on the mountain when it erupted, and students from St Kentigern College has just arrived in the area. Further groups from St Kentigern College are due to arrive today and tomorrow.

Principal Steve Cole sent a newsletter to parents to ensure their children were "safe and well" and advised their trip would continue.

He said the Tongariro Crossing track was closed but everything else in the area was "operational and safe".

"Our programme will be directed away from the [crossing] area.

"Please be reassured that we will be taking the safety of all attending Field Centre 2012 very seriously and should the situation change we will advise families as soon as practical," the letter said.

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ffs this is disgusting

how dare these bloody schools keep the children up there!!

what dont they understand about the fact that there will be no warning!!

parents should go and get their kids from the school camps and take them home to safety

and what dont they understand about the fact that nobody knows how big and dangerous the next eruption will be!!

The Taupo District Mayor has described the response to Mount Tongariro's eruption as a total overreaction.

Following Wednesday afternoon's eruption, flights were cancelled, a Civil Defence alert issued, a three-kilometre exclusion zone set up around the mountain and Department of Conservation tracks closed within a three km radius of the crater.

Mayor Rick Cooper has told Newstalk ZB that as a society we have become too precious.

He said Mount Tongariro is a live volcano in a geothermal area, so small eruptions like Wednesday's are a fact of life.

"We have to live and learn to live with a live volcano. She does, from time to time, the beautiful woman, stamp her feet. Whilst we need to take all precautions we should not overreact," Cooper said.

He said while it is important to be cautious where necessary, things must be kept in perspective.

"We are the geothermal capital of New Zealand. It's all part of the area we live in. We are living with live volcanoes in our backyard, but I don't think anyone needs to worry, they need to let off some steam."

Cooper says he does not think business in the area has been hurt, and instead the "hype" has been showing off the area's beauty.

The Department of Conservation has defended its course of action over the eruption.

DOC programme manager Bhrent Guy said the eruption would have been very frightening for people near the mountain.

"It was significant, and we have to take careful note of that and plan around any future events," he told Newstalk ZB.

Smoke and ash spewed four kilometres into the sky from the Te Maari vent, the same place where Tongariro erupted in August.

Blast risk 'significantly high'

Meanwhile, Mount Tongariro remained quiet again overnight but scientists warn it could blow again within days.

The ash cloud from the eruption has cleared, allowing flights from the central North Island to resume.

Scientists say the volcano is in state of unrest and the risk of another sudden blast remains significantly high.

"That unrest is going to continue for many weeks to many months and during that period of unrest there could be small-scale explosions," said Brad scott, GNS volcanologist.

The latest eruption on Wednesday is being described as minor.

But that has not stopped it dealing a blow to the Tongariro Crossing. The track is closed for the second time this year and hikers are being forced to take on other routes.

"We wanted to do the Tongariro crossing but obviously that is not going to happen now," a tourist told ONE News.

The popular hike is the life blood of the Central Plateau and now there is fear any extended closure, during what is peak season, could mean the loss of more precious tourist dollars.

Guy says the Tongariro Crossing will remain closed for at least the next three-days while the safety risk is assessed.

Greg Hooper of Tongariro Holiday Park said yesterday 26 campervans checked out and nobody had checked in for last night.

For now, the continuing priority for the Department of Conservation is keeping people out of the immediate danger area.

Guy said there is no reason for concern outside the safety zone that is set up.

And that means - in some good news for the region - the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, which draws thousands of visitors to the region, is still going ahead.

Cyclist Shannon Stallard said: "Obviously, if it gets worse over the next couple of days and the the ash comes in and there's cloud and stuff like that then we'll be worried about it, and if there's lahar and lava on the course."

While that scale of eruption looks unlikely, the chance of another like the one last Wednesday remains very real.

Whanau have told TangataWhenua.com that they have noticed other interesting geothermal activity. Wally Lee a Trustee for the Tuhourangi Maori Authority mentioned that Waikete geyser had “roared” back to life in recent weeks, and that korero from the past suggested that during the 1886 Tarawera eruption, thermal activity too had increased. He said that the raise was attributed to pressure building underground, similar to what they had heard happening at Ketetahi Springs at Tongario.

Geologists have also pointed to disappearing crater lakes, similar to the ocean breathing in minutes before a tsunami as a precursor to volcanic activity.

Te Moananui Rameka a who guides for Pure Ora Walks, the only Maori concession holder, who guide the Crossing and provide cultural interpretations, began seeing tohu around December, he and his team had noticed increased geothermal activity around Ketetahi Springs, including the rapid lowering of the Emerald Lakes and new geysers being born and had passed this information onto others. He felt that this was a tohu, a reminder and sign from both Tongariro and Ruamoko that people should not take the maunga for granted.

Interesting then that GNS scientists say the eruption came as a “total surprise” and that “volcanos” don’t speak to each other, but we’d disagree and whanau believe if they had a more holistic perspective they too would have seen the signs.

What have you seen whanau? Any increased geothermal activity in your area? Email us your story and photos and let us know.

Mauri ora!

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Te Maari Crater has been steaming ever since my family shifted to Taupo,at the end of ’69. And, the Red Crater is always steaming. And, Ngauruhoe is always smoking. Will GNS the people – whom are supposed to warn us – do so? After the Christchurch September 2010 earthquake, GNS accepted advice from psychologists that if if they told the community that there would soon likely be another earthquake of a similar magnitude as that which occurred in September 2010, then, this would would traumatise the people; and, so, because of this advice, GNS decided NOT to warn the community of this potential earthquake. Then, the February 22 2011 struck,causing huge loss of life.2 In other words, the people whom are supposed to warn us decided not to warn us.Will the the people of the Tongariro area be constantly warned so that they can save their lives? WE need assurances on proce on how they going to keep the community accurately informed.TONY ALLEN August 7, 2012 at 2:06 pmReply

just a note on these disturbances,my business is part of a global company that engineers underground shelter structures. what comes down the pipe from top Geo-scientists in the united states and what they are not saying to avoid panic is that a celestial object the half size of hour moon is heading towards earth and due to by pass in the next few weeks.. the gravitational pull on our planet by this object is effecting our magna and tectonic plate movements which is creating disturbances in volcanism and earthquakes.. the us military is already evacuating their bases near to the coastal areas. since its coming up from the southern hemisphere, Australia/new Zealand can be greatly effected..again its just an opinion of the white island /tongaririo eruptions taking into account one is dormant and they have no direct connection to each other.joseph August 7, 2012 at 1:58 pmReply

Why do they do this when we know and are part of Papanuku!Barbara Jephson August 7, 2012 at 12:41 pmReply

Ngati Tuwharetoa have been preparing their evacuation plans for some time, due to fears that Mt Tongariro was becoming more active. A few weeks ago Ngati Hikairo ki Tongariro met with volcanologists to find out exactly what’s going on.

TangataWhenua.com spoke with Ngahuia Wade (who filed the following report for Te Karere in late July of this year), who helped to clarify some key issues.

Yes, the eruption “snuck up” on GNS, but that only meant that they had been having less eruptions in the past few days. Ms Wade told us that “GNS has been working with Tuwharetoa for decades. Brad Scott is a very passionate and enthusiastic volcanologist, very professional and informed. I also note that there have been times where they take tangata whenua with them (like Uncle Napa Otimi from Waihi) up to the mountain at times like this for karakia etc.”

So we are pleased to know that there is been a great deal of involvement of local iwi and hapu and in particular knowing that a Maori world view has been taking onboard (i.e. the use of karakia).

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Kia Ora,

Just followed a link regarding a vision of a huge volcanic eruption in the Lake Taupo region in 1997, there would be clear signs… check the hot pools around the edge of Lake Taupo right in town, just as you leave the CBD, there is a resort that has spanish decor, apparently this is the tohu to evacuate, the hot pools will rise and flood into the resort buildings.

Another tohu is to remember our tipuna who called for fire from Hawaaiki, it came through White Island, watch the volcanic activity there, all the central plateau volcanoes are connected.

There are too many dreams, visions of a huge eruption occurring in the Taupo district, please look for the signs, especially the hot water rising into the resort buildings around the lake CBD area.clarinda lupi August 7, 2012 at 10:24 pmReply

Re: WHAT IS HAPPENING AT WHITE ISLAND VOLCANO??? New Zealand/Kermadec & South Pacific QUAKE/VOLCANO WATCH

Restless Ruapehu a bigger threat

Just like Mt Tongariro's surprise bang on Wednesday afternoon, what happened a few kilometres away at 8.20pm on September 25, 2007, came suddenly and violently.

Shortly before airline pilots noticed a black plume rising above Mt Ruapehu, a volcanic blast threw ash, rocks and water across the summit area, sending two muddy torrents down the skifields.

Inside a hut on the edge of the crater lake, William Pike and James Christie heard a "massive boom" before the building's door was blown from its hinges and mud and rock poured inside. Mr Pike's crushed leg later had to be amputated.

The warning signs Mt Ruapehu gave in the days before that explosive moment are being seen again now - worrying scientists that the mountain could be about to produce a similar-sized eruption.

GNS volcanologist Michael Rosenberg said Mt Ruapehu has been showing two forms of unrest, which are considered unrelated.

There have been 45 earthquakes about 5km beneath the mountain since early August, but 35 of those have come in the past month......

Please note : Where appropriate for posted images/ graphs I acknowledge the New Zealand GeoNet project and its sponsors EQC, GNS Science and LINZ, for providing data/images used in my study and analyses of Volcanic and Earthquake information in New Zealand.

Re: WHAT IS HAPPENING AT WHITE ISLAND VOLCANO??? New Zealand/Kermadec & South Pacific QUAKE/VOLCANO WATCH

Restless Ruapehu a bigger threat

Just like Mt Tongariro's surprise bang on Wednesday afternoon, what happened a few kilometres away at 8.20pm on September 25, 2007, came suddenly and violently.

Shortly before airline pilots noticed a black plume rising above Mt Ruapehu, a volcanic blast threw ash, rocks and water across the summit area, sending two muddy torrents down the skifields.

Inside a hut on the edge of the crater lake, William Pike and James Christie heard a "massive boom" before the building's door was blown from its hinges and mud and rock poured inside. Mr Pike's crushed leg later had to be amputated.

The warning signs Mt Ruapehu gave in the days before that explosive moment are being seen again now - worrying scientists that the mountain could be about to produce a similar-sized eruption.

GNS volcanologist Michael Rosenberg said Mt Ruapehu has been showing two forms of unrest, which are considered unrelated.

There have been 45 earthquakes about 5km beneath the mountain since early August, but 35 of those have come in the past month......

Re: WHAT IS HAPPENING AT WHITE ISLAND VOLCANO??? New Zealand/Kermadec & South Pacific QUAKE/VOLCANO WATCH

Restless Ruapehu a bigger threat

Just like Mt Tongariro's surprise bang on Wednesday afternoon, what happened a few kilometres away at 8.20pm on September 25, 2007, came suddenly and violently.

Shortly before airline pilots noticed a black plume rising above Mt Ruapehu, a volcanic blast threw ash, rocks and water across the summit area, sending two muddy torrents down the skifields.

Inside a hut on the edge of the crater lake, William Pike and James Christie heard a "massive boom" before the building's door was blown from its hinges and mud and rock poured inside. Mr Pike's crushed leg later had to be amputated.

The warning signs Mt Ruapehu gave in the days before that explosive moment are being seen again now - worrying scientists that the mountain could be about to produce a similar-sized eruption.

GNS volcanologist Michael Rosenberg said Mt Ruapehu has been showing two forms of unrest, which are considered unrelated.

There have been 45 earthquakes about 5km beneath the mountain since early August, but 35 of those have come in the past month......

as a parent who has seen gross teacher negligence on school camps, i would be picking my child(ren) up and taking them away from there asap, would you?

Quoting: Tauranga

FOR SURE!!!...No way would I want the kids camping or tramping around volcanoes that are in active mode...they are trying to say they had no warning and it could happen again anytime..they dont know when- so yes- they should be keeping the whole area clear....but they seem to be mighty worried about the tourist dollars...

Interested observer of all things interesting!

Please note : Where appropriate for posted images/ graphs I acknowledge the New Zealand GeoNet project and its sponsors EQC, GNS Science and LINZ, for providing data/images used in my study and analyses of Volcanic and Earthquake information in New Zealand.

Re: WHAT IS HAPPENING AT WHITE ISLAND VOLCANO??? New Zealand/Kermadec & South Pacific QUAKE/VOLCANO WATCH

Restless Ruapehu a bigger threat

Just like Mt Tongariro's surprise bang on Wednesday afternoon, what happened a few kilometres away at 8.20pm on September 25, 2007, came suddenly and violently.

Shortly before airline pilots noticed a black plume rising above Mt Ruapehu, a volcanic blast threw ash, rocks and water across the summit area, sending two muddy torrents down the skifields.

Inside a hut on the edge of the crater lake, William Pike and James Christie heard a "massive boom" before the building's door was blown from its hinges and mud and rock poured inside. Mr Pike's crushed leg later had to be amputated.

The warning signs Mt Ruapehu gave in the days before that explosive moment are being seen again now - worrying scientists that the mountain could be about to produce a similar-sized eruption.

GNS volcanologist Michael Rosenberg said Mt Ruapehu has been showing two forms of unrest, which are considered unrelated.

There have been 45 earthquakes about 5km beneath the mountain since early August, but 35 of those have come in the past month......

This is being considered the product of "rock-breaking" - tectonic activity separate from the magmatic behaviour inside the volcano above.

It's the other red flag - a bottling up of volcanic gas - that is most concerning scientists, who last week raised the mountain's Aviation Colour Code from green to yellow, warning that an eruption could come within the next few weeks.

A tell-tale sign was that the lake's temperature had remained relatively stable since March, hovering between 20C and 25C, while gas temperatures below were 800C.

The lake's comparatively docile warmth was out of character with the temperatures of 40C it had reached in previous years, Mr Rosenberg said.

"What that suggests is that the heat and fluids coming off the magma aren't getting right through to the surface."

Mt Ruapehu houses three "conduit" pipes, but only the central vent, which runs directly up to the base of the crater lake, has been active over the past few thousand years.

Scientists believed volcanic gases and fluid in this pipe was dissolving old lavas, precipitating different hydrothermal minerals that were sealing up cracks in the rock above.

The seal it created was not perfect - but enough to make scientists sit up and take notice, especially because of the similarity with the causes of the 2007 eruption.

"Volcanic gases are good at transporting heat and travel up the conduit pipe and through the broken rock all the time, presumably leaking into the bottom of the lake," said Associate Professor Phil Shane, from the School of Environment at the University of Auckland.

"If you go deeper into the volcano - let's say kilometres down - you might find new magma that doesn't even have to be rising to create gas, and that gas and heat that comes with it needs to go up and escape.

"If the conduit is filled with old rocks, these gases can build up and then you get to a threshold where it just goes pop," he said.

"What makes it hazardous is not so much that they're bigger eruptions or that they happen all the time ... it's just that they can happen with minimal warning."

Preceded by a seven-minute quake measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale, Ruapehu's 2007 eruption sent skiers fleeing down the mountain.

"It blasted out a jet of rock and mud across the summit plateau of Ruapehu, but it didn't really produce a widespread ashfall - mostly it was close by the mountain," he said.

"But certainly the blast and fallout of the large rocks posed quite a significant hazard for people in the mountain within a few kilometres."

It was similar to other bursts in 1969 and 1975, but smaller than the big blows that occurred 50 years apart in 1895, 1945 and 1995.

Mt Ruapehu - which translates to either a "pit of noise" or "exploding pit" - presents the full arsenal of an active volcano.

It could spit tephra bombs kilometres into the air and ashfall over large areas, especially to the east in prevailing westerly winds.

The chances of a lava flow were relatively low and fearsome pyroclastic flows were yet to be seen on Ruapehu.

More likely are devastating lahars created by the crater lake emptying and splashing over its sides.

Powerful enough to smash through bridges by collected mud and debris, lahars could gush down the Whakapapaiti stream toward the skifield, or pour into the Whangaehu River to the east.

In 1953, a lahar damaged a rail bridge at Tangiwai and caused New Zealand's worst rail disaster, killing 151 people. Mr Rosenberg said such a lahar was another real possibility.

Scientists visited the mountain yesterday to take samples which would indicate whether the temperature and chemistry of the gases and lake water had changed.

"At this stage, we think perhaps Ruapehu has changed into that situation where there's a part-seal - a barrier to stop the heat, fluid and gas getting out, causing a pressure build-up beneath," Mr Rosenberg said.

A Ruapehu eruption would come as the fourth volcanic eruption New Zealand has seen this year - and after yesterday's encore at Mt Tongariro, the third within the explosive Taupo Volcanic Zone.

While our volcanoes straddled the tectonic plate boundary known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, their individual eruptions were not connected and did not influence each other.

"All of the volcanoes in the North Island are related to one another only in that they are on top of the plate boundary," Mr Rosenberg said.

"They have a separate magma system which means a separate body of magma underneath the crust and have a separate plumbing system."

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wow, tarn, this is HUGE

this is why they notified john key about it

but tourism seems way more important than human life!!

and the 'experts are still insisting that the activity at our volcanoes is not related, i am starting to think they have their heads up their arses rather than in the sand!!